International Law

Overview

Guernica 37 is an innovative International Justice Chambers specializing in transnational litigation involving the enforcement of fundamental human rights protection and international criminal norms in national courts.

Our genuine international structure provides a diverse team of accomplished attorneys from Europe, United Kingdom and United States of America, all with lengthy and proven relevant professional experience building legal accountability strategies around the globe drawn upon direct experience in multiple national jurisdictions and international bodies.

We provide highly technical pro bono and affordable legal services assisting individuals, civil society groups and government institutions to design and implement strategies to investigate abuses to achieve accountability and redress for human rights violations and international crimes.

Our overall work aims to effectively contribute to the success of genuine Transitional Justice efforts transforming societies to achieve lasting justice and legal security. National courts play a decisive role in articulating, interpreting and enforcing international legal norms, especially norms designed to protect individuals and the societies they live in, from human rights violations. There is very limited understanding and expertise that bridges the work of these national courts impacting the success of the national actors.

International Criminal Law

Members of Guernica 37 deals with all aspects of international criminal and humanitarian law.

International Criminal and Humanitarian Law is at the forefront of Guernica 37’s practice. Its members have been involved in a number of high profile matters prosecuting, defending and acting for victims before International Tribunals, hybrid courts and human rights monitoring bodies including the International Criminal Court, International Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, Bosnia and Herzegovina War Crimes Chamber and Bangladesh International Crimes Tribunal.

Previous cases have included General Augusto Pinochet, President Uhuru Kenyatta, former President Pervez Musharraf, former Vice President of Bosnia and Herzegovina Ejup Ganic, General Karake Karenze of Rwanda, the political leadership of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, and more recently the President of Syria Bashar al-Assad.

Members of Guernica 37 have conducted extensive investigations and submitted communications to national and international bodies, including the ICC Prosecutor, to open investigations in Bangladesh, Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and the Occupied Territories in Palestine.

Guernica 37 has proven experience in arguing international law before national courts in criminal proceedings and in civil claims under the Alien Torts Claims Act and Foreign Services Immunities Act in the United States of America.

Members of Guernica 37 advises States on developing strategies and building institutional capacity to address atrocity crimes and mass human rights violations with experience in a number of post-conflict and transitional States including Bosnia and Herzegovina, Syria, Egypt, Iraq, Libya and Sri Lanka.

Guernica 37 has filed amicus briefs in a number of criminal matters including on the use of evidence obtained through torture before the Military Commission at Guantanamo Bay and the U.S. Trial of Chelsea Manning.

Public International Law

Public International Law is one of the fasting growing legal fields. It has been at the cutting edge of legal development in recent years and continues to develop into many interconnected fields. The introduction of the Human Rights Act in the United Kingdom and the increasing reliance on international law in the domestic courts means that expertise in this field is now more important than ever before.

Public International Law is the body of rules and principles that governs States in their interactions with other States, Organisations and Individuals. It comprises numerous legal fields including international criminal law, human rights, foreign policy and diplomatic relations and the conduct of trade rules and armed conflict. These rules and principles are contained in international treaties, customary international law and generally accepted legal principles.

Members of Guernica 37 have significant experience in a number of important areas of public international law, including taking cases to the European Court of Human Rights, UN Human Rights Committee and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights; judicial review proceedings; acting for victims of international crimes in seeking reparations; advising on the recognition of judgments in foreign jurisdictions; advising on fair trials abroad and challenging transfer of prisoner agreements.

Extradition, Mutual Legal Assistance and Interpol Red Notices

Guernica 37 regularly advises and represents individuals, foreign governments and judicial authorities in extradition proceedings at all levels. Its Members have been involved in a number of high profile extradition requests in Argentina, Bangladesh, Brazil, Egypt, El Salvador, Guatemala, India, Peru, Rwanda, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States and numerous Member States of the European Union under the European Arrest Warrant Scheme. Our members are available to provide immediate advice and representation to those subject to extradition requests and Interpol warrants and advise States on their treaty obligations.

Our members have developed expertise in extradition law in the United Kingdom, United States, Spain and a number of Latin American States, having pursued extradition requests on behalf of victims of international crimes to face justice in the Courts of the United States and Spain. Further, they have developed expertise in extradition law in the UK, with members having been previously seconded to the Crown Prosecution Service’s Special Crime & Counter Terrorism Division as Senior Crown Prosecutors in the UK’s specialist Extradition Unit.

Guernica 37 is also available to provide bespoke training on extradition law and its members have previously provided advice and training to lawyers, judges and government officials in the United Kingdom, United States of America, the Balkans and South Asia.

Guernica 37 has considerable experience in advising on matters of mutual legal assistance and letters of request and acts for States, Organisations, Corporations and Individuals in drafting and responding to such requests.

Members of Guernica 37 advises individuals subject to Interpol Red Notices and international warrants. This includes liaising with States, Judicial Authorities and Prosecutorial Agencies in foreign jurisdictions as well as petitioning the Committee for the Control of Interpol’s Files for the withdrawing of warrants.

United Nations

Members of Chambers, have significant experience in representing individuals, groups, and state parties before the various mechanisms and organs of the United Nations.

With an ever more unstable world, State parties are being expected, with some frequency, to respond to UN Commissions of Inquiry in both current, and post-conflict scenarios. Members of Chambers have represented a number of Governments and provided strategic assistance with the approach to be taken in general, and the drafting of specific submissions to such Commissions.

Conversely, individuals and civil society groups are now more aware of the various organs of the United Nations and the Human Rights Council as a means by which to enforce, or seek to enforce their human rights domestically through multi-national treaties such as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR)

The procedure is complex, however, is one that Guernica Members have successful navigated in respect of a significant number of individuals who have sought to bring their case to the attention of the United Nations, and its Special Rapporteurs.

Guernica 37’s members have made submissions in respect of the UN Commission of Inquiry following Operations Protective Edge, and the UN Inquiry into Sri Lanka.

Further, Guernica 37 have assisted, submitted and responded to submissions concerning situations in Palestine, Bangladesh, Egypt, Djibouti, Ethiopia Ukraine, Maldives, and Panama to name but a few.

News

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